It's You

It's You is
a romance story about a man that finally realizes that the
one he was meant to become one with, was right in front of him.

And just like that it was
over. Christian Smith, like so many other men here in Austin, Texas,
was a fool. A fool because he let the only woman that ever set his
soul on fire, get away. He splashed water on his face to wash away
the truth, to wash away what was so clearly being shown in front of
him. Christian ran out of the restroom and into the chapel.

"Stoppp!" He
yelled out.

"Lacey, you can't
marry him!" Christian stated.

"What are you doing
Christian?' Lacey asked.

"I'm getting my
beautiful queen back!" Christian said.

"Baby, pleaseee!" Christian pleaded.

"I can't!" Lacey screamed as she approached
Christian.

"What do you want
from me?" She finished.

"Your heart!" Christian yelled.

Lacey looked at Christian,
back at the man she was going to marry, then she ran out of the
chapel.

*Pow!* Robert, Lacey's
fiance, punched Christian.

Robert ran out of the
chapel to find Lacey as the couple's guests shook their heads in
disappointment as they left.

Christian laid there in
disbelief as he watched the love of his life be chased by another.

The preacher approached
Christian.

"Young man, what was
it that you thought you could accomplish here today?" The
preacher asked.

"Well sir, I love
that woman that you were just about to marry but I didn't realize it
until I saw that she was serious about another man." Christian
said.

"Why is it that we
always wait until a person has moved on to want to treat them the way
that they deserve?" The preacher asked.

"I know what you're
thinking sir but that isn't the case with Lacey and I ." Christian
stated.

"Then what is the
case young man?" The preacher asked. "What's the story?" He finished.

Christian started to tell
his story:

" A couple of years
ago, I met a woman that silently changed my...life. That woman was
Lacey, the woman you were going to marry to that man, Robert."
Christian explained.

To be honest, I saw her
but I didn't SEE her. Lacey was the type of woman that was often
overlooked because she didn't put her beauty on display like the
other women in town. Actually, I don't even think that she knew just
how beautiful she was because she always got mad when someone
commented on her appearance as if what they were saying was a joke.

When we first met, I was
interested in Lacey because she was like a mystery. She rarely
associated with anyone which is where the mystery came in at. It was
as if her silence drew me in because I just had to talk to her.

"Hey Lacey!" I
would say.

"Hi!" She would
say while staring down at her feet.

"Can we hang out some
time?" I asked.

"Um, I don't know!" She said.

After she finally decided
to give me a chance, I started to fall for her. That woman was self
less, intelligent, and she was beautiful inside and out. We started
hanging out at her mother's house and at the park. Lacey and I would
sit and talk for hours at a time as if we were the only two on the
planet. Sometimes I'd look at her like I just knew that she was
mine, my wife that is.

The preacher started to
look concerned as Christian is telling his story.

"What?" Christian asked."Nothing!" The
preacher said.

"I already know what
you're thinking sir. For me to know that right then, how could I
just let her slip through my fingers? How could I let another man
treasure MY treasure? Christian said.

"Sometimes we have to
lose to realize the loss..." The preacher stated."In this day and age,
you youngins are so concerned with proving that you don't care only
to realize you should have cared." He finished.

"I know sir, I know! However, I'm trying to
change it but I can't change it until I admit
all of the truth, all of what happened." Christian stated.

"Okay, finish your
story!" The preacher said.

"Okay!" Christian responded.

One day I met a woman
whose beauty captivated me within one glance, she stole my heart
within our first meet. When I met her, I just knew that she was the
upgrade from Lacey. It was like I knew Lacey was the one because of
who she was but I figured God was giving me someone ten times better
than her. The truth is I was wrong. The woman that I met didn't
even want to be with me which made me back track and go back to my
old ways. I started back hanging out with the wrong people, doing
the wrong things, and I stopped promoting positivity. In short, I
became apart of the problem instead of becoming the solution I was
originally aiming for. I think that says a lot about who you choose
to pursue when it comes to your life whether it is a friend or more
than a friend.

"Hey Lacey!" I
would say."Hey!" Lacey
would respond.

It was as if that "Hey"
was enough for her to forgive me and give me another chance because
she did. When she gave me another chance, I basically did the same
thing to her again which should have told her that I didn't deserve
her, her time, or her love.

Fast forward a year, I
lose everything from my job to my vehicle to my friends. Lacey
became my backbone. I used her to bounce ideas off of. I used her
for financial reasons. I used her for pep talks. I used her for her
love. It wasn't as if I just set out to "use" her but it
wasn't as if I was trying to stop myself from doing any of those
things either. She was just so understanding, she was issuing out
some of the things that I was never familiar with. In my mind, I was
given even more proof that she was my wife but then my ex showed up.

In my teenage days, my ex
was someone I cared deeply about because she loved me or at least she
said she did. It was as clear as day that she only wanted me to
herself but I couldn't have her. She wanted me to display my love,
my affection for her but she never would lend me an encouraging ear
during hardships, in fact, she talked to me as if I wasn't worth
anything at all. Lacey had to find out once again through social
media that I was with her which broke her heart. This is how she
ended up with Robert because I was a fool for far too long. I didn't
fight for her. I didn't realize that she was the missing piece to my
puzzle. It's like deep down inside I KNEW because her love was a
love like no other. I knew because her purpose lined up with my
purpose. I knew because I knew peace when I was with her. I knew
peace.

Christian finished telling
his story as the preacher began to talk.

"Son, I would be
lying if I said that you had a real chance with Lacey but I'm not
saying that you don't. However, I am saying that you really dug
yourself a deep hole. Love is many things but one thing it is not is
a lie. If I were to sum up what love is, I'd say love IS peace. Love
can happen in more ways than one. It can be planned and it can be a
spur of the moment type of thing. A lot of people say that it takes
a lot of time to "build" love but that's not true. If
anything, love happens at any momen but it's the keeping the love
happening that takes a lot of time. You can meet someone today that
loves you more than someone from your past. There is no one answer
when it comes to defining what love is. I think that you owe Lacey
an apology but it's up to her to forgive you because you really
messed up. I know that I'm suppose to tell you that everything will
be alright but even I know that there is a possibility that, that
isn't true. Go to her. IF she wants to talk to you, talk. If she
doesn't, then leave her be." The preacher said as he walked
Christian to the door.

"What am I going to
do now?" Christian asked himself.

Christian starts walking
down the side walk as he spots Lacey. His heart starts to pound
repeatedly.

"I love him, you
know?" Lacey yelled out.

"I know!" Christian replied with a sad look
on his face.

"What were you
thinking Christian? Lacey asked.

"I waited on you and
I waited. I was there for you when your friends weren't. I uplifted
you. I gave to you when I didn't have enough to give to myself. More
importantly, I loved you no matter what struggle came your way
and you hurt me more than once. You couldn't even tell me the truth
when the truth was all that I asked of you. Why?" She
finished.

"Lacey, I was a fool. I want to blame it on
my age, on my past, on anything but the truth
but I can't hurt you anymore. I lost you because I didn't choose you
when I had you. I had you while continuously looking for more as if
I didn't already have all that I needed. All I ever needed was you."
Christian said.

Lacey started to stare at
Christian as if she wanted to scream but she didn't say anything.

"Are you okay?" Christian asked.

Lacey remains quiet.

"Lacey, I'm sorry but
please talk to me!" Christian begged.

"Where did Robert
go?" Christian asked.

Lacey still remained
quiet.

Christian started to walk
away but Lacey stopped him.

"He called off the
wedding." Lacey said.

"Oh!" Christian
replied with no sound of sympathy within his voice.

"He still wants to
marry me but he wanted me to come to end all ties with you!" Lacey
stated.

"What?" Christian yelled.

Christian gets down on his
knees.

"Baby no, I can't
lose you! I can't!" Christian said with tears in his eyes.

Lacey turned her head away
from Christian's.

Christian grabs her hand
to turn her around.

"Baby!" Christian said.

"I love you! I love
your personality! I love your uniqueness! I love your morals! I
love that you no longer put up with anyone's bull! I love that you
found your worth but not in me or any other man!" He finished
saying.

"You didn't value me! You treated me like
an option compared to everyone else but then you
would always find me when you needed me. I'm done Chris, I'm done!"
Lacey says as she walks away.

"Will you marry me? Christian blurts out.

Lacey turns around.

"What?" Lacey
asks.

"Will you marry me?" Christian asks proudly.

"Why now?" Lacey asks.

"You said that you
couldn't do what we've always done anymore so why not start a new
chapter with me? Why not be with me? Here, now, forever, always? Will
you marry me?" Christian asks again.

Lacey starts to cry.

"Christian, I love
him!" She says again.

Christian starts looking
confused.

"Lacey, you just said
that!" Christian says.

"Christian, I love
him but..." Lacey pauses.

"But what?" Christian asks.

"I'm still in love
with you!" She says.

"What?" Christian asks with excitement.

Lacey steps up closer to
Christian.

"Why do you think
that I'm here right now? Why do you think that I stayed to listen to
all that you had to say? When I told you that I loved you all of
those years ago, I meant it. My love is eternal! My faith in you
increases as the days go by. I never stopped believing in you, I
never stopped praying for your miracle. To be real, a part of me is
scared because this would make the third time that I have given you
my heart. How do I give my heart away to someone that has proved to
not know how to cherish it? This heart aches for you! This soul
longs for you! But I'm not your toy. I'm not someone that you can
just walk all over whenever you want to." Lacey says to
Christian.

"I know you aren't
and I promise that I will never abuse your heart again if you decide
to give me a chance. Let me love you. Let me hold you like I did
when we first hung out. Let me be the one to listen to all your
concerns, the one to inspire you, the one to cater to you. Let me
show you that I'm not the same man that I was back then. Don't you
believe in growth?" Christian asks.

"Of course I do!" Lacey replies.

"Then let me prove to
you that I have grown in more ways than one. Let me show you that I
am capable of being with only one woman." Christian says.

"Okay Christian, I
will be your girlfriend." Lacey states.

"Girlfriend?" Christian asks.

"Isn't that what you
want?" Lacey asks.

"No, I was serious!" Christian responds.

"Yes!" Lacey
screams.

Christian picks Lacey up
and kisses her.

"What about Robert?" Christian asks.

"He knew!" Lacey said.

"What?" Christian asks with curiosity.

"He knew from the
moment I approached you in the church that you were the one that I
wanted to marry. Robert told me that it is possible for someone to
change even after so many times of wrong doings. He knew that deep
down inside, I still wanted you but he didn't want to admit it
because he was scared of losing me. But how could he lose what he
never fully had?" Lacey says.

"When do you want to
marry me?" Lacey asks.

"Tomorrow!" Christian responds.

"Okay, see you then!" Lacey says as she
walks away.

Christian smiles widely as
he heads back inside of the church. On his way in, he sees the
preacher sitting in the pew with a smile on his face.

"You already know,
don't you?" Christian asks the preacher."Yes, I know! I knew
when you left out that she would give you another chance because
real love knows no limit." The preacher says.

The preacher gets up to
shake Christian's hand.

"Good job son! And
the answer is yes!" The preacher said.

"What do you mean?" Christian asked him.

"Yes, I will marry
you and Lacey!" The preacher said.

The two of them shook
hands as Christian left the church.

Christian heads to the
apartment to meet up with his brother.

"I did it!" Christian yells out.

Christian's brother,
Terrance, runs out of his room.

"Man, you scared me!" He says.

"I did it!" Christian says again.

"Did what?" Terrance asks.

"I got my queen
back!" Christian says as he breaks down in tears.

"Man, I'm proud of
you! Maybe now you can stop having those dreams!" Terrance
said.

"I told you to go and
tell her how you feel! I told you that type of love doesn't just
vanish in spite of the time that has passed. But bro, you can't do
what you've always done or you'll lose her for good this time. Look
at what ALMOST happened, I know that they said that almost doesn't
count but it really does count. That woman is your forever! She is
the one you are suppose to be with so you can't treat her as if she
is average." Terrance explains.

"I know Terrance! Trust me, she will never
have to worry about my actions not matching
my words anymore. Seeing her almost marry another nearly tore my
soul out. I can't let that happen again or I don't know what I'd
do." Christian tells Terrance.

"Do you know what
vows you will say to her?" Terrance asks.

"Yes, I do!" Christian said with enthusiasm.

"What are they?" Terrance asks.

Christian goes into his
room and pulls out a piece of paper from under his dresser.

"Man, what's that?" Terrance asks.

"My vows!" Christian states.

"Wow!" Terrance
says as he is reading Christian's vows.

"I know!" Christian says egotistically.

The evening turns to night
as the night turns to day.

Christian stares into the
same mirror he was looking in when he thought that he had lost his
queen.

"Today is the day!" Christian says as he
walks out of the restroom and into the chapel.

Christian watches Lacey as
she walks down the aisle to him. He takes her veil from her face as
the preacher asks him to recite his vows. He needed to see her face,
her eyes, he needed to see HER.

"Lacey, my queen! I
never told you this but you silently saved my life. You helped me
realize my purpose, my dreams, my goals. you helped me become the
man I am today. You loved me when others didn't. You supported me
when others didn't. You are the definition of strong. You are my
strength when I am weak. Through you, compassion has made its home.
Through you, unconditional love flows through your veins. Your smile
heals wounds that existed from long ago. Your patience is
distributed profusely amongst all. You are everything. You are my
everything. I need to apologize once again for taking so long to
realize your worth. I need to apologize for taking so long to
realize how much you mean to me. I need to apologize for pushing you
away when I needed to be pulling you close. I need to apologize for
being one of the people to overlook you. I need to apologize for
telling you ahead of time that it is and it has always been, you."

As Christian finishes his
speech, the preacher pronounces them husband and wife. The two take
it upon themselves to seal the deal with a kiss. A kiss that took a
second but felt like forever.

My name is Chessica
Luckett. I am a Certified Life Coach for the Youth and the
Owner of Luckett Life Values. My poem, "Take a deep
breath" was published in an Anthology Book of Blue Mountain Arts
called "You are stronger than you know". Aside from
this poem, I have no other publishing credentials.